Paws for Growth: Unlocking the Dynamics of China’s Pet Food Market and Competitive Landscape

China's pet industry has been demonstrating resilience and steady growth despite economic headwinds. Data shows that the pet care market maintained an upward trajectory over the past decade, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.3% from 2015 to 2024. Within the industry, pet food remains the dominant segment, accounting for 52.8% of the total market share.

To help industry stakeholders gain deeper insights into China’s pet food market, ChemLinked has releases the report Paws for Growth: Unlocking the Dynamics of China’s Pet Food Market and Competitive Landscape. This report provides a comprehensive analysis of market size, product categories, domestic production and imports, competitive landscape, sales channels, and consumer trends, equipping businesses with key insights to identify growth opportunities.

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Paws for Growth: Unlocking the Dynamics of China’s Pet Food Market and Competitive LandscapeChina's pet industry has been demonstrating resilience and steady growth despite economic headwinds. Data shows that the pet care market maintained an upward trajectory over the past decade, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.3% from 2015 to 2024. Within the industry, pet food dominates, accounting for 52.8% of the total market share.This report provides a comprehensive overview of China's pet food market, analyzing its market size, product categories, production and imports, competitive landscape, sales channels, and consumer trends. It aims to offer valuable insights and help stakeholders identify business opportunities in this promising sector.

 Below is a glance at the report.

Overview of China's pet industry

According to the 2025 China Pet Industry White Paper, China’s pet care market size showed a stable upward trend over the past decade, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.3% from 2015 to 2024. Within the industry, pet food dominates, accounting for  52.8% of the total market share, followed by pet healthcare, pet supplies and pet service at 28.0%, 12.4% and 6.8%, respectively.

Pet food market

Delving into the pet food sector, this sector has witnessed steady expansion over these years. According to the 2023-2024 China Pet Food Consumer Report, the market size of pet food reached approximately RMB 145.9 billion in 2023. Specifically, the urban pet dog food market was valued at RMB 74.8 billion, reflecting a 3.9% increase from 2022. The urban pet cat food market reached RMB 71.0 billion, up 7.6% from 2022.

Pet food supply

From the perspective of domestic production, China's pet food production experienced a CAGR of 13.49% from 2020 to 2024, indicating rapid growth. Production is highly concentrated in the top five regions led by Shandong and Hebei.

While domestic production is on the rise, pet food imports have been declining since it peaked in 2020. From 2020 to 2024, pet food import volume experienced a fluctuating downward trend, with a CAGR of -8.34%. Notably, the United States has been China’s largest source of pet food imports since 2022.

Competitive landscape

The Chinese pet food market remains highly fragmented, with a relatively low concentration level. In 2023, the CR10 (market share of the top 10 brands) was 24.2%, indicating that the industry has not yet formed an oligopoly. Instead, it leaves ample room for new entrants to compete. It is noteworthy that international brands have leveraged their first-mover advantage and secured a significant share of the market, especially the premium segment. Meanwhile, Chinese brands are steadily gaining ground by enhancing product innovation, expanding distribution channels, and investing in brand-building initiatives.

Sales channels

Concerning the sales channel, China's pet food market has seen a highly digitalized sales landscape. The rapid growth of e-commerce has significantly enhanced convenience, making online channels the dominant sales avenue for pet food products. Meanwhile, pet hospitals are gaining traction as a specialized sales channel. Due to high consumer stickiness, pet hospitals are expected to become a new growth driver for offline sales.

For a more in-depth analysis of China's pet food market and emerging opportunities, please refer to the full ChemLinked report.

Regulatory compliance

ChemLinked has also launched a featured section on China Animal Food Regulatory Updates, which gathers key regulatory updates, regulatory insights, and essential resources regarding feed and pet feed industry in China. 

For further feed/feed additive/pet food registration, consulting or translation service, please contact us via [email protected].